Windshield wiper



Oct. 1, 1957 A. c. sclNTA WINDSHIELD WIPER Filed Feb. 12, 1954 IN V EN TOR'.

mlvony CSC/'nto BY United States :This 'inventionrelates to al Windshield wiper, andmore particularly to a wiper adapted to cleancurved'windshield Surfaces..

H eretofore, those wipersadapted to clean lcurved windshieldsf comprised 'r'ubber-'squeegees mounted in flexible backing strips.l The strips,;were connecteltto a-superstructprecomprising a plurality of rigid yokes having a centrally locatedwclip for `attachment to rthe spring pressedv actuating arm. The .sprig created pressure' was transmttdfftoand distributed alongjthe backing strip by the superstructure`v so"l as ,to Ycause tliesqueegee to conform' to the curvature of the shield. l N l y :l

Since they surfaceV Icontour, `of the shieldc hanges ,from point to point, thewiper niustlbe provided with'suicient exibilityto permit git to` dex into rconformity twith the constantly changing curvatureV4 of thc'jsurface as it oscillates thereacoss.r In order toprovide thisfrequisitezexibility, the wipers lwere of necessity assembled in a loose jointed'mannersoas to permit apredetermined amount of relative movement between thelvariouselementsprior to binding. `I-Ioweventhe apparently necessary metal on nietalmoveinent generates a considerable amount of noise which it has been found subjects the operator of theuvehicle and its passengers to excessive annoyance and distraction.` l f v Accordingly, it is the object of the. present invention to provide a windshield wiper' which is"""l`e'nt"in ,operation and yetf'hasA 'suicient ilexibilityitofpimlt-*its conformance to Y'the constantly changing curvature-of vthe shieldduring the cleaning cycle. p I 4 Y For a better understanding of this and other objectsl of the"invention,S `reference is made toithef `:following .specilicationsT and accompanying drawiiigsfwhrein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a windshield wiper constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line II-II of Fig. l so as to illustrate one of the superstructure fulcrum;

Fig. 3 is a View taken on line III--III of Fig. 2 so as to more clearly illustrate the superstructure fulcrum; and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modied manner of fabrication of the superstructure fulcrum.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the, numeral 1 designates the wiper actuating arm attached to clip 2 mounted on primary lever 3; the opposite end of the arm, not shown, is connected to the rockshaft of the Wiper motor as is customary. The arm 1 is spring pressed toward the windshield in a conventional manner. The pressure resulting from the arm being urged toward the windshield is transmitted from it tothe primary lever, from there to the secondary lever 4, and thence to the yoke 5.

The squeegee 6 comprises a triangular marginal bead 7 seated in a channel provided therefor in backing member 8. Neck 11 connects the marginal bead to the body 9 yof the squeegee which tapers to a rectangular lip 10. The

backing strip comprises two flanges 21 connected by arched cross-arms or vertebrae 12 spaced along the longltudinal axis of the backing strip. The vertebrae de- ?efeinf f" i 2,807,821 Patented Oct.1, 1957 fine the-*toprbundaryeof the;channelyforthe"A marginal bead and also provide lthe flexibility requisite to the backing strip -for-surfa'ceconformation Yas the ywiper vmoves across the constantly changing v ,curvature'of the Awindshield. It lshould be noted thatja'limitedjamount of free- Vdomof movementyis permitted between rthe channel and thevemarginal bead in'Y order that the squeegeejmay more readilymakeguniform contact with the windshield.

Clawslr'ofjthe yokee/ngage anges ,21"o`f' the backing strip .Whileinturned ears 14 o fthesecondary lever engage themid-pointoff-the-yol're. -Claws 15 at thenopposi-te end of the secondary lever aISoengagethel flanges ofthe backing strip. Similarly, earsv 16 *and claws v 17 H of the` primary-lever engage the'secondary leverP and backing vstrip respective-1y.

rFrom-the abovedescription itemay 'be seen `that as the Iarm'exerts-pressure oni-the; primary lever the latter will tendto; flatten -and spread,` the spreading being` permitted by-tthe-slidingfconnection between the various elements. This'faction-(resultsiinthe transmissionjofpressure' to ythe secondary leverfand to the lower end of4 thebpackingstripV so Mas tomaintain-firmfcontact between the squeegee and which in turn tends to rotate as it applies the pressure to' the squeegee via the backing l strip at connections 13. It- 'should be noted that the limited rotation lofjthevarious elementsfof the superstructure is'an attenuated reflection of-the'movement ofthe squeegeeas Athe latter ilexes into conformity withthe contour ofthe shield. l.

Asshouldbe obvious, a'large volume of operational noise occurs'asthevariousf-partsof the superstructure rock -andl slidey withrespect to one -another asV the wiper oscillatesfaross; the constantly changing lcurvature of the'windshield. Heretofore,-la knife edged fulcrumand plate connections'wereprovided atjthe pivot points-of the superstructureV elements.l lThese'knife edges were,V formed bypl-acing--a-V-'shaped depressionin the top surface of eachelen-ientin -the vicinity ofits ears. Howeverg Ait has beenfound that the metal'on metal*rockinggandsliding n generates a tinnyr rattlingv noise of considerable annoyance. In order to do away with this noise, a pivot having a low sound generating characteristic has been provided in place of the metallic knife edge.

In this new superstructure opposed arcuate sockets 25 and 26 are formed in the mating members 4 and 5 at the pivot point. A cylindrical member 24 composed of rubber or any other material having the desired low sound generation, durability and resiliency characteristics is placed within the opposed sockets as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The side walls of secondary lever 4 retain the cylindrical member within the sockets while the inturned ears 14 keep the entire assemblage from disengaging. In this manner the various parts of the superstructure roll on the cylindricalmember during operation rather than rocking Iand sliding on the metalic knife edge. Due to the intrinsic properties of the cylindrical member the objectionable operational noise or rattle is for all practical purposes eliminated. Although only a juncture between the yoke and secondary lever has been kdisclosed in detail, it should be understood that a similar connection is provided between the primary and secondary levers. Y

A modified form of construction is illustrated in Fig. 4. Herein the lower of the two mating members S has an uninterrupted top surface while the upper member 4 is formed with an arcuate socket 25 encompassing more than 3 AIt may therefore be seen that by utilizing the present inventi'oi' a wiper' *whichtopeates* both silently *and ellitciently is provided since pivots which create little or no noise in operationare substituted for the metallic V,knife either eliminated or cor'tsidenahly'reduci-Ld.A

p-Having thus -d'"'close`d exemplary embodiments thereof; A

whatl claimas mytin'vention'is: i

1. -A windshield wipeflfofautomotivs vehixes'havirlgj. curvd` windshields: 1 comprising," i a 1, suieege,4 a tleitible backing-stripy'forretiningsaid squee'geegand for operable connection witha wiperactuatiiig arm, asuperstructure having a plurality 'of pivot'edparts"interposedbetweenthe interposed Vbetween the pivotd partsr 'ofithesuperstructure saidA pivot `means effectively eliriiiiitingithe operational' noise and rattleslofs'aid superstructure parts as`th`e wiper tends to conform to the constantlychanging curvature of anas'so`c':iat'e'd` Windshield `iivhil: moving thereacross.

2. A' windshield ywipe?fon'autorriotive vehicles having curved windshields comprising@ squeegee,` a'exible back` ing `stripfor"said sque'egee and -for operable connection with'la `Wiper actuating arm, a superstructure having a pluralityiofpivoted partsinterpbsed kbetviieen the backing strip Aand' wiper actuating; arni,` claws integral with said superstructure parts and engaging `tlibacking strip, and pivot4 means having :a low` sound generating Vcharacteristicyinte'rposedV between thepivote'd'fparts of the superstructure, said pivot means effectively eliminating the op-4 erational noiseandrattleslof said superstructure parts as the wiper tends to conform to the `constantly `changing contour of an 'associated `curved iwindshield while 'movingther'eacross." n

3.` A windshield wiper for jautomotive vehicles having curved windshields comprising, a squeegee, a `flexible backing stripfor said squeegee, a wiper vactuating arm operatively connectedftosaid backing strip, a superstructure n CJI curved windshields comprising, a squeegee, a flexible backing'strip'forsaid squeegee, a wipe'actuating' arrn"oper'a tively connected to said backing strip, a superstructure having a plurality of relatively moveable parts interposed between the backing strip and wiper actuating arm, pivot meansl having a low sound generating characteristic interposed between the relatively ,moveable parts of said superstructure, and a socket for the reception and retention of said pivot means in at least one of said relatively moveable parts, said pivot means, effectively eliminating the operational noise and rattles of said superstructure parts as the wiper tends to conform to the constantly changing contour ofanassociated curved windshield while moving thereacross.

5. A windshield'wiper forlautornotive vehicles having curved windshields comprising, a squeegee, a flexible backing strip for said squeegee,'a superstructure having a plurality of pivoted parts-connected towsaid backingstr'ip, pivot means havinga low sound generating characteristic interposed between the pivted parts of said superstructure, and a socket for the reception Iand retention `of said pivot meansi in `at 'leastgone ofsaid pivoted parts, `s aid pivot means etectiveljeliminating the operational `noise and rattles'foi said .super'structurej parts asuthe wiper tends to conform fto'tlzie constantlyehanging contour of an associated windshield while moving .thereacross y I 6. A windshieldfwiper for automotive vehicles having curvedwindshields comprising, [a squeegee, a flexible backing strip for said squeegee, avt/iper actuating armmoperatively connected'to `said backing strip, a superstruc' ture having atleast two matingrelatively moveable parts interposed between the backing strip and wiper actuating Varnnpivot 4means'having a low sound generating char acteristic interposedV between said matingparts of the superstructure', and opposed'sockets in eachof saidmating parts for the" reception and retention of saidpivot' means, saidpi'votme'an's Velectively eliminating *the op,- erational'noise and rattles of said superstructure parts as the` wiper 4tends to kconform to the constantly changing contour of'an associated windshield while moving thereacross.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS 1,566,026 Liepmeral. Dee. 15, 1925 2,667,656V oishei` Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,728 canada June 16, 1953 683,375 Great` Britain Nov. 26, 1952 

